Mary bashers need to educate themselves
It’s always humorous when I hear someone spout off some objection to intercessory prayer or “prayers to Mary”, and throw out 1 Tim 2:5; you know, the verse about Jesus being the one mediator. Often, these come from people who attend churches that engage in intercessory prayer regularly, and make up some defense for why its ok in their case, but wrong in the situations of others. They typically lack a complete theology — which is why they contradict themselves regularly, and feel the need to spend time criticizing the beliefs of others.
I also find it sad because it typically demonstrates that a person has neither studied the Bible enough — and is often just regurgitating what they read or were told by someone else who hasn’t studied enough — nor have they really educated themselves on what the Catholic Church teaches on the matter.
Such was the case today, when I received the following email:
Dear Sirs: St. Michael The Archangel in Memphis, TN is promoting 1 million prayers to Mary. Why? Nowhere in the Bible are we to pray to Mary and/or is there any indication that she can intercede for us. This is blatantly not biblical. Even the deepest computer search will yield “NO RESULTS” for anything pertaining prayer to Mary or that she can intercede for us. 1Ti 2:5 tells us there is ONE mediator; and that ONE is Jesus. It is blasphemy to go around Him or through Mary to try and get our prayers answered. Jesus never hinted, suggested, or told us to pray to Mary. Furthermore, Mary cannot intercede or answer our prayers, and that is a Biblical fact. Please tell me why are they doing this. At best this fruitless attempt is man made.
Sincerely:
NVO
Now, I’m not going to go into a complete defense of “prayers to Mary” or intercessory prayer. There are plenty of resources out there that explain it in detail, and I don’t think time is best spent copying those again here.
What I want to say is that those who attack what they don’t understand — and especially haven’t taken the time to understand — are bearing false witness, and lacking in that which the Scriptures call the greatest of gifts, charity. (cf 1 Cor 13:13)
I don’t know “NVO”, and never heard from him before. But, for some reason he thought that today was a good day to reach out and try to smack at the faith of others. It seems that NVO’s time would be better spent educating himself, rather than send out emails that boast of his ignorance.
Don’t worry, NVO. I will pray for you…
I might help if we as Catholics admit that some Catholics may well be using prayer to Mary to avoid prayer to God. If we admit to no misuses of marian practices, of course others will suspect us. Look at that group in Canada who ended up being punished medicinally by Rome as being heretical since they eventually made Mary equal to God….that abnormal group did not arise out of the Baptist community but from us. Why were they not stopped much earlier?
bill bannon said this on February 23rd, 2009 at 9:33 am
Perhaps NVO was not reaching out to ’smack at the faith of thoers.’ Perhaps NVO was the one chosen to question our prayers to Mary in order that we can again affirm our faith and supply those who do not understand our joyus and grace-filled relationshp with Our Holy Mother the explanation of our doctrine. Mary is Our Mother, given to us at the foot of the Cross for all times. As we ask our Guadian Angel to watch over us, we also ask Our Blessed Mother to also watch over us. And for those of us who have experienced Mary’s awesome miraculous power, we know she is full of grace and dispences it for our sanctity and survival. Here on earth God the Son listens to ordinary people, all called to be priests, and answers thier prayers for others. Why then would He not answer the requests of His Immacualte Mother? Mother Mary pray for us sinners.
Laura Baylis-Lockett said this on February 24th, 2009 at 9:55 am